75 лучших рассказов / 75 Best Short Stories

‘They are far too clumsy though for driving. Try them on and see,’ and he tossed them through the door on to Eustace’s bed, and went on with his unpacking. A minute later he heard a shrill cry of terror. ‘Oh, Lord,’ he heard, ‘it’s in the glove! Quick, Saunders, quick!’ Then came a smacking thud. Eustace had thrown it from him. ‘I’ve chucked it into the bathroom,’ he gasped, ‘it’s hit the wall and fallen into the bath. Come now if you want to help.’ Saunders, with a lighted candle in his hand, looked over the edge of the bath. There it was, old and maimed, dumb and blind, with a ragged hole in the middle, crawling, staggering, trying to creep up the slippery sides, only to fall back helpless.

‘Stay there,’ said Saunders. ‘I’ll empty a collar box or something, and we’ll jam it in. It can’t get out while I’m away.’

‘Yes, it can,’ shouted Eustace. ‘It’s getting out now. It’s climbing up the plug chain. No, you brute, you filthy brute, you don’t! Come back, Saunders, it’s getting away from me. I can’t hold it; it’s all slippery. Curse its claw! Shut the window, you idiot! The top too, as well as the bottom. You utter idiot! It’s got out!’ There was the sound of something dropping on to the hard flagstones below, and Eustace fell back fainting.

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